Trump whistleblower’s life ‘will be turned upside down’

THE whistle blower who sparked Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry will have his life turned upside down when his identity is inevitably revealed, says an outed former CIA agent.

Valerie Plame, who quit her undercover role when her name was leaked by US government officials in 2003, said her “heart goes out” to the CIA operative who raised concerns about a phone call between the US president and his Ukrainian counterpart.

The unnamed whistleblower said multiple officials on the call had raised concerns that Mr Trump had put pressure on a foreign government to interfere in US elections.

A second person, who also chose to remain anonymous, has come forward, claiming to have first-hand knowledge of the allegations outlined in the original concerns.

Mr Trump has rebuffed the claims, counter-attacking that the complaints against him were politically motivated.

With so much scrutiny of the whistleblower, Ms Plame said: “This person’s life has changed forever. I think it’s only a matter of time before we know his identity”. Once that happens, she added, “the partisan machines will get cranked up and he will read about this person he doesn’t recognise.”

She warned his entire life would be raked over, even down to “what kind of salad dressing” he favours.

Ms Plame is perhaps uniquely qualified to comment; she was working as a covert agent when her own cover was blown by officials in George W Bush’s administration during the lead-up to the Iraq war.

It was seen as retaliation for an op-ed written by Joseph Wilson, then her husband and former diplomat, who cast doubt on the Bush administration’s rationale for going to war.

The “Plame affair” rocked the Bush administration and led to a federal investigation and a senior White House official’s conviction.

Ms Plame quit Washington but plans a return to the US capital as she hopes to represent New Mexico’s 3rd congressional district in the House of Representatives. She has already created a fiery campaign video taking aim at those she holds responsible for her own unmasking – as well as Mr Trump.